DC vs Marvel: First Photo of Batfleck and Channing Tatum as Gambit

In a tale as old as time, DC and Marvel once again went head to head today in movie news. Over at Warner Brothers, Zack Snyder tweeted his first photo of Ben Affleck as Batman. Not to be outdone, Fox revealed that Channing Tatum had been cast as the smooth-talking Cajun mutant Gambit AKA Remy LeBeau. Ever since Superman vs Batman was announced, every bit of news has been met with mixed reviews. First there was the infamous Batfleck announcement, which had fanboys in a rage for quite some time. Then Gal Gadot was tapped to play Wonder Woman, something fangirls have been demanding for quite some time. The last bit of news was the double casting announcement, with Jesse Eisenberg to play Lex Luthor and Jeremy Irons to play Alfred. The Eisenberg casting left many fans disappointed, as they had been hoping for Heisenberg AKA Bryan Cranston to play Superman’s nemesis.

But yesterday Zack Snyder teased fans with a picture on his Twitter of the Batmobile covered with a tarp, saying, “Could be time to pull the tarp…Tomorrow?“.

Fans eagerly tuned into Snyder’s Twitter account and were met with a double whammy, as the director tweeted a picture of the Batmobile and Batman himself.

Personally I didn’t mind the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman. I think he is extremely gifted both in front of and behind the camera. And unlike most people, I liked him as Matt Murdock AKA Daredevil. Now I’m a superhero fan strictly from the movie standpoint. I didn’t grow up reading the old comics or watching the cartoons. But regardless of that, I still consider Batman to be my favorite superhero, so any chance that I get to see him on the big screen is a treat for me. The shot itself looks fantastic to me. The only thing I would have done would have been to release separate photos of both Batman and his machine. From what I could see, Snyder’s take on the Batmobile seems to harken back to its roots instead of a more realistic approach à la Christopher Nolan. But as it is in the background, it’s difficult to truly tell. The suit looks awesome. There’s something about it that feels grittier, not as sleek as Nolan’s suit. And we can breathe a sigh of relief that there are no Batnipples.

For as long as I can remember, people have been asking for a Gambit movie. When the first trio of X-Men films were released, there had been talk of including Gambit in the final film, with Lost’s Josh Holloway as the frontrunner. He was even offered the part in X-Men Origins: Wolverine but turned it down, saying it was too close to his Lost character. The role later went to Taylor Kitsch from Friday Night Lights, and his performance was met with mixed reviews.

Image by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

But Channing Tatum, on the other hand, has been fighting tooth and nail for the part for quite some time. In an interview with MTV, he said, “Gambit is the only X-Man I’ve ever loved. I mean, I’ve loved them all, they’re all great, but I guess just being from down South; my dad’s from Louisiana, I’m from Mississippi, Alabama, Florida. I don’t know, I just related to him … I would die to play him.” And at the London premiere for X-Men: Days of Future Past, producer Lauren Shuler Donner confirmed the actor’s casting. Apparently Gambit will be introduced in X-Men: Apocalypse, slated to be released in 2016, before being given his own solo film.

I may have mixed feelings about Channing Tatum as an actor, but I think I’m warming up to him. There’s something to be admired about the passion of a fan. David Tennant was a fan of the Doctor since he was a child, and that passion might have had something to do with him becoming one of the most popular Doctors in the show’s history. Perhaps Channing Tatum will have the same effect on Gambit?

So what are your thoughts, readers? What do you think of the Batman shot and Tatum’s casting? Whatever your thoughts are, comment below and thank you for reading!

Photos of Batman and Batmobile are from Zack Snyder’s official Twitter account. Image of Channing Tatum by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons.